Railway car truck spring bolster



July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRING BOLS'IER 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4. 1963 July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY GARTRUCK SPRING BOLSTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR-HUM/F0 A. 4/09 Wigw 4770/? K5.

July 12, 1966 R. L. LICH RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRING BOLSTER Filed Dec. 4,1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. R/(H/MD A. Z/Cf/ United States PatentOffice 3,260,222 Patented July 12, 1966 3,260,222 RAILWAY CAR TRUCKSPRING BOLSTER Richard L. Lich, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to GeneralSteel Industries, Inc., Granite City, Ill., a corporation of DelawareFiled Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 327,992 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) The inventionrelates to railway rolling stock and consists particularly in a truck ofthe separate side frame type having improved tramming means.

In conventional trucks for freight cars, comprising separate side framesconnected by a bolster, the ends of which are vertically slidablymounted in windows in the side frames, the only means for maintainingthe major axis of the bolster at right angles to that of the side framesis the engagement between guide surfaces on the sides of the bolster andcooperating upright guide surfaces on the side frame columns which formthe sides of the windows into which the bolster ends extend, and theengagement of guide lugs on the bolster with inner and outer surfaces ofthe side frame column guides. On newly manufactured trucks thisarrangement is adequate, but as the coopcrating surfaces of the sideframes and column guides become worn through usage, the bolster becomesfree to assume non-right-angle positions relative to the side frames.This is particularly true when a car so equipped is rounding a curvebecause the engagement of the wheel flanges with the outer rail of thetrack curve tends to retard the outer ends of the axles causing theaxles to move out of their normal right angle relation with the sideframes with consequent increase in flange and rail wear.

It accordingly is a main object of the invention to provide a truck ofthe separate side frame type in which wheel flange wear is minimized.

It is a further object to provide a truck of the separate side frametype having improved means for maintaining the side frames, bolster andaxles in tram whereby to reduce flange wear and damage to the journalbearings.

I achieve the foregoing objects by providing, in addition to the pair ofopposing surfaces at each side of the truck presented by the twoconventional side' frame column guides and adjacent surfaces of thebolster, a second pair of opposing surfaces at each side spacedtransversely inwardly of the truck from the first pair and forming, incooperation with the first pair, a relatively long moment arm transverseof the truck resisting forces tending to distort the side frames andbolster out of their normal right angle relationship.

These features are embodied in the truck described hereinafter andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a truck embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the truck illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top view, partially sectionalized along line 3-3of FIG. 4 of the truck illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the truck, partially sectionedalong line 4-4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. "5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view along line5-5 of FIG. 3.

The truck comprises two assemblies each consisting of wheels 1 andspaced parallel axles 3 and 5. Journal boxes 7 rotatably mounted on theouter ends of axles 3 and 5 are fixedly received in longitudinallyspaced pedestal jaws 9 or transversely spaced side frames eachcomprising a top chord 11, a bottom chord 13 vertically spaced therefromintermediate its ends and merging at its ends with top chord 11. Spacingof the top and bottom brackets on the side frames.

chords is effected by spaced upright columns 15 which combine with topand bottom chords 11 and 13 to form a window in each of the side frames.An upwardly open cup-shaped spring seat 17 is seated on side framebottom chord 13 which is of substantially rectangular cross section andis maintained thereon by the engagement therewith of depending brackets19 outwardly of the side frame and a depending wall structure 21inwardly of the side frame, both brackets 19 and wall structure 21engaging respectively the outer and inner vertical surfaces of thebottom chord 13. Upright coil springs 23 are seated in spring seats 17and underlying engage the end portions 25 of transverse load supportingbolster 27, the center of which is formed with an upwardly facing pivotcenter plate for pivotally supporting a car body (not shown). Endportions 25 of transverse bolster 27 are formed with vertical guidesurfaces 29 on their sides which are engageable with guides 31 on sideframe columns 15 and cooperate therewith to transmit longitudinal forcesbetween the bolster and the side frames. For limiting transversemovements of the bolster relative to the side frames as may be permittedby transverse deflection in bolster springs 23, the sides of the bolsterare formed with inner and outer stop lugs 32 and 34 which are adapted toengage the sides of guides 31 when the limit of desired lateral bolstermovement is reached.

For providing additional tramming to that provided by the cooperatingbolster and column guides, spring seats 17 are formed with inwardtransverse extensions 33 which gradually narrow down longitudinally ofthe truck from the full width of the spring plank to a relatively narrowterminal portion 35 of substantially rectangular cross section. Becauseof the rigid mounting of the spring seats on the side frames, extensions33 are, in effect, inboard Inwardly of springs 23 the bottom wall 36 ofthe bolster slopes downwardly as at 37 to a maximum depth in the centralregion of the bolster as at 39 and the sloping portion 37 is aperturedas at 41, apertures 41 being elongated somewhat lengthwise of thebolster and being vertically aligned with terminal portions 35 of springseat brackets 33 to permit the protrusion thereinto of the latter.Apertures 41 are surrounded by upstanding rims 43 which are extendeddownwardly at their sides as at 45 in the region of spring seat bracketterminal portions 35 and the vertically coextensive portions of rims 41and their extensions 45 are provided with inwardly facing wear plates 46which are vertically slidably engageable with the sides of spring seatextension terminals 35. The sides 47 of spring plank terminal extensions35 are slightly curved about a transverse axis to permit relativetilting between the bolster and the side frame as may be required byvertical variations in the two rails of the supporting track.

With this arrangement it will be seen that the bolster engages each ofthe side frames, or structure rigid with each of the side frames atpoints spaced apart transversely of the truck, i.e., the ends of thebolster with the column guides and the bolster inwardly of its ends asubstantial distance at 45 with the terminal portion 35 of spring seatextensions 33. This provides relatively long arms A (FIG. 1) resistingforces tending to move the bolster out of its normal right anglerelationship with the side frames and will effectively maintain thetruck in tram, even allowing for a certain amount of wear on thecooperating surfaces on bolster and column guides and of the bolster andspring seat extension terminal portion 35.

During operation of the truck the major forces tending to force thetruck frame out of tram will be the engagement of the outer wheelflanges with the outer rail on curves which will tend to move the outerside frame rearwardly with respect to the inner side frame and to causea change in the normal right angle relationship of the bolster to theside frames. In a conventional truck the only truck frame meansresisting this tendency would be the engagement of the cooperatingbolster and column guides acting through an arm transversely of thetruck equal to the width of the column guide surfaces normally in theorder of 5 /2 inches. In a truck constructed according to the invention,however, the transverse space between the cooperating surfaces of thebolster and column guides and of the bolster and spring seat extensionterminals 35 are spaced apart a much greater distance than the maximumpossible width of the column guides thereby providing a very long armbetween their vertical center lines, several times the maximum width ofthe column guide surfaces which, of course, provides a much greatermoment resisting forces tending to move the bolster out of normal rightangle relationship with the side frames. With the bolster and side framein their normal right angle relation the wheels and axles will also bemaintained at their proper square relationship resulting in asubstantial reduction in flange wear and rail wear.

It will be understood that spring seats 17 and their inward extensions33 can be made integral with the side frames without departing from thespirit of the invention, however for convenience in manufacturing theside frame castings these elements have been disclosed as separate partsrigidly secured to the side frames.

The details of the structure may be varied substantially withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use ofthose modifications coming within the scope of the claims iscontemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle truck comprising transversely spaced,longitudinally extending side frames, longitudinally spaced opposingtransverse surfaces on each of said side frames, upright springssupported on said side frames intermediate said transverse surfaces, atransverse bolster supported on said springs and vertically slidablyreceived between said spaced transverse surfaces, downwardly openapertures in said bolster spaced inwardly transversely of the truck fromsaid side frames, and a single bracket rigid with each side frame andextending a substantial distance inwardly transversely of the truckbeneath said bolster from the spring supporting portion of the sideframes and into the adjacent bolster aperture for vertical slidingengagement between its transverse exterior surfaces and the transversesides of the adjacent aperture.

2. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1, including separatespring seats rigidly seated on said side frames between said uprightmembers, said brackets being integral with said spring seats.

3. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which said bolster isrelatively shallow at its ends and relatively deep in its centralportion and said apertures are formed in the bottom of said bolster inthe region intermediate the shallow end portions.

4. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which the surfaces onsaid brackets are convexly curved about an axis transverse of the truckto accommodate tilting longitudinally of the truck of said side framesrelative to each other and to said bolster.

5. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which said sideframes are queen post trusses with an upper chord and a springsupporting lower chord, said brackets being mounted on said lowerchords.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 773,674 11/1904Perrie et al 105-197 967,061 8/1910 Row l05223 X 1,358,043 11/1920Westlake 105-197 2,200,571 5/1940 Barrows l05207 X 2,571,225 10/1951Endsley 105-197 ARTHURL. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. H. BELTRAN,Assistant Examiner.

1. A RAILWAY VEHICLE TRUCK COMPRISING TRANSVERSELY SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE FRAME, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPPOSING TRANSVERSE SURFACES ON EACH OF SAID SIDE FRAMES, UPRIGHT SPRINGS SUPPORTED ON SAID SIDE FRAMED INTERMEDIATE SAID TRANSVERSE SURFACES, A TRANSVERSE BOLSTER SUPPORTED ON SAID SPRINGS AND VERTICALLY SLIDABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID SPACED TRANSVERSE SURFACES, DOWNWARDLY OPEN APERTURES IN SAID BLOSTR SPACED INWARDLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE TRUCK FROM SAID SIDE FRAMES, AND A SINGLE BRACKET RIGID WITH EACH SIDE FRAME AND EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INWARDLY TRANSVERSE OF THE TRUCK BENEATH SAID BOLSTER FROM THE SPRING SUPPORTING PORTION OF THE SIDE FRAMES AND INTO THE ADJACENT BOLSTER APERTURE FOR VERTICAL SLIDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ITS TRANSVERSE EXTERIOR SURFACES AND THE TRANSVERSE SIDES OF THE ADJACENT APERTURE. 